Building a solid business relationship with your best friend is a challenging feat. But Maya French and Dustin Baker, founders of the plant-based nutrition beverage company Koia, have successfully navigated the trials and triumphs of building a natural drink that redefined the marketplace. With a shared lifestyle interest and a desire to make plant-based, low-sugar protein drinks more accessible to the masses, the business besties set out to form a long-term partnership.
In nearly a decade, the brand’s innovative tactics and expansive business model have created a high demand nationwide in more than 15,000 stores, including Target, Publix, Safeway, Walmart, 7-Eleven, Whole Foods Market, and more. With celebrity investors, including The Weeknd, Kevin Hart, Ryan O’Reilly, and Josh Bell, to name a few, and securing lucrative Series B funding, the twosome has positioned Koia to take its growth and expansion model to the next level.
NEW YOU sat down with the dynamic duo to discuss cautionary tales in entrepreneurship, practical advice they would offer a nine-to-fiver ready to take a leap of faith, wellness practices for when the going gets tough, and how they became key players in the health food industry.
NEW YOU: Do you have any wellness practices? Something you turn to when things are crazy?
Dustin Baker: I wouldn’t recommend drinking coffee or more caffeine. You definitely want to go the other direction, such as getting out into the woods or nature. Take your shoes off, walk in the grass, lie in a park, or walk to your favorite café and have tea. When you’re in the heat of the moment, you almost like to drive it further and suffer more. However, what you want to do is stop, break that cycle, get out of that room for a while, and try to get a fresh perspective. It’s tough to put that into practice. But if you keep trying, you’ll eventually have your automated response.
As business partners, how do you protect your professional bond with each other?
DB: This is ten years in the making. It has not been an easy road, but one of the ways I protect my bond with Maya is that I recognize that we change every couple of years. I came to this stark realization that as she changes, our relationship is to change. Boundaries must change, and expectations must change. When somebody is very important to you, you make those changes and adapt. I support anything Maya wants to do, and I try to be a soundboard for Maya and support her even when it is not in my best interest or serves me.
You both had a super successful exit strategy. What are the two tips for doing this?
Maya French: The top tip for having a super successful exit strategy is to be clear and realistic about what you want to do with your life after and know that your self-worth isn’t tied to the amazing things you can create.
DB: To sum it up, enjoy the journey, not the result. Everybody knows this expression, but it is so hard to practice it. It’s all about the journey. Because if you don’t enjoy the journey and you get to the result, not having a passion or not being tethered to anything is a scary place to be. But the practical advice for a successful exit is to get a good lawyer who looks at all your paperwork from day one.
Maya, you were on the Forbes 30 under 30 list. How does it feel to know that your entrepreneurship in the food and beverage industry is being recognized?
MF: I made the cover for food and drink, and having that level of credibility was amazing! It was such a game-changer. It really helped me realize how much my work had affected other people on a positive level, even by inspiring other entrepreneurs. The joy I feel and hearing that from others has encouraged me to continue creating amazing brands that help others.
What do you think is the most significant barrier to female leadership?
MF: The most significant barrier to female leadership is for men and other women to realize the true power of women and their true power of being able to bear children and be leaders. Many women struggle with imposter syndrome because we’re often told that we’re not good enough, we’re not as great as men, or we’re in situations where there’s nothing but men around us. Because of this, we automatically feel much smaller than we are. But we really need to recognize our own intelligence and superpowers.
What’s the one caution you would relay about building a huge national brand?
DB: I call it the two X rule. When you’re going national with any product, it will take twice as long and cost twice as much. So be ready for it and refrain from over-promising and under-delivering because it will not go well.
How has social media impacted your privacy?
MF: I try not to let social media impact my privacy because I can control what people see. I’m a very private person. I used to record every single moment of my life. Then, people felt like they were a part of my life. That’s fun and has its perks, but nowadays, I’m more careful of what I share. You should do as much as possible behind the scenes and then surprise them when you have something big to announce. Also, I do have a finsta [fake Instagram account] where I can be more creative.
